Railroad signal-lamp and blade-signal



' (No Model.)

T. MoNALLY RAILROAD SIGNAL LAMP AND BLADE SIGNAL. No. 594.999. PatentedDe0.7, 1897.

WIT- ESSES INVENTOR $25M Ji 49 ii his attorney UNTTED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

THOMAS W. MCNALLY, OF BRISTOL, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- SIXTH TOJOHN \VOODHOUSE, OF RAHWVAY, NEW JERSEY.

RAILROAD SIGNAL- LAMP AND BLADE-SIGNAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 594,999, dated December'7, 1897. Application filed April 20, 1897. Serial No. 633,074. (Nomodel.)

, sylvania, have invented an Improvement in Railroad Signal-Lamps andBlade-Signals, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements insignal-lamps and signals which are designed especially for use inrailway service, the signal-lantern and signal being adapted to becarried by a suitablyconstructed base which is attached to the car andoperated by the brakeman, so that the signal can be seen from the rearas well as by the locomotive-engineer. In carrying out my invention Iemploy a signal-lantern holder of a type like that shown in my patentdated April 23, 1895, which is numbered 537,991.

The invention consists in the special con struction and combination ofthe parts, as will be hereinafter set forth, and specifically pointedout in the claims.

111 the accompanyingdrawings, which illustrate my invention, Figure 1 isa side elevation, partly in section, of the lantern-holder,signal-blade, and lantern constructed in accordance with myinvention.Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view. Fig. 4 is a detail view. Fig. 5 isa detail perspective view showing one end of the signalblade, and Fig. 6is a sectional view taken on the line 6 6 of Fig. 1.

A designates a support which is adapted to engage a bracket secured tothe car, and the support carries a shield and a casing upon which ismounted a rotatable casting having an outwardly-projecting lever forturning the same when desireduand to the rotatable casting is secured asignal-lamp which is constructed in accordance with my invention.

The signal-lamp O is of the box type and is provided with lenses orglasses which are suitably colored, one of said glasses being preferablywhite, while one of the other glasses is red and the other two green. Inpractice such difficulties have been met with in the use of lanterns asordinarily constructed, arising from high winds, snow, and sleet, thatsuch lanterns have almost been abandoned and a box or housing is usedwith glass sides, in which the lantern is placed. The objectionablefeatures of housing in a lantern are that the lantern is not readilyaccessible and the housing is liable to become incased with snow andsleet.

In carrying out my invention the housing is entirely dispensed with. Theheat of the lantern-lamp will keep the lenses free from snow or ice andthe improved air-supply will insure a brilliant flame.

The bottom or base piece of the lantern O is made up of a plate, whichplate has on one side a series of apertures a, and on the other side ofthe base is positioned a box or casing B, which is provided withperforated ends, as shown at Z), and the upper portion of this box orchest has attached thereto upwardlyprojecting tubes B, the upper ends ofwhich are bent so as to project at right angles, and they extend throughthe side Walls of the lan-. tern and are provided with funnels, one ofthe funnels being on one side of the lanterncasing and the other on anadjacent side, so that they will project at right angles with eachother. The funnels or conical portions are referred to by thereference-letter b.

D refers to tubes having conical portions or funnels at their lowerends, and these tubes extend upward, so that the upper ends are disposedcentrally within the upper portion of the lantern, and their ends aredisposed at right angles with each other and have funnels or conicalsections, as shown.

G refers to a conical section which is secured to the upper portion ofthe lantern in any suitable manner, the upper portion being slightlyabove the upper ends of the tubes D and about opposite the band F, whichforms a part of the upper section of the lantern, and this band orcollar F has a series of perforations in that portion which will formthe sides and rear of the lantern when in use, and to this band orcollar F is .secured the top section E of the lantern, which has acentral aperture which may carry a tube E over which is placed acovering or cap E E refers to a band having a series of apertures whichare so disposed that they may register with the apertures in the collarF when the band is shifted so that the apertures will be open at thatpart of the lantern which is at the rear, while the other apertures willbe closed. The band is retained in place when jecting lug for engagementwith either one of the perforations e in the band, according to whichposition it may be adjusted. The band is preferably an integral portionof the revoluble cap E.

H refers to a signal-blade which carries at one end a disk h, havingperforations which h, carried by the rotatable section of thelantern-support, and the blade may be used without the lantern as aday-signal and can be permitted to remain in place when desired when thelantern is used, as it will not in any way interfere with its operation.

Inoperation the-lamp when-lighted and ad'- justedwill have the outerends of one of the tubes 13 D toward the locomotive, the outer ends ofthe other tubes being disposed to one side of the lantern-body, and whenthe train is in motion the air will be gathered by the funnels and enterthe upper tube-D and cause an updraft, while the air which is suppliedthrough the tube B is discharged through the box B and enters thelantern-casing through the-open-endsof said box. This gives a constantsupply of air to the lamp, and theheatedair,.'with the prod-uctsofcombustion, passes out through the perforations in the upper portionofthe lantern and the tube carried by the oap-piece,.the band E havingbeen previously set sothat the openings will be at the rear.

When the position of the lamp is shifted,v which is done by giving it aquarter-turn, it isonly necessary to change the cap-piece, and saidchange can be made manually.

With my improvements there is no'l-iability of downdrafts in thelantern, asboth tubes act to produce an updraft therein. With a lanternso constructed it is not necessary to use a housing or box, as thelantern iskept heated, so that when snow strikes the same it will berapidly melted.

IVhat I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a signal-lantern for railroad use the combination of a pair ofair-supply tubes, the ends thereof projecting through difierent sides ofthe lantern-casing and communicating with an open-ended box, of tubes D,having their outer ends similarly disposed, their upper ends beingpositioned adjacent to the central portion of the lantern, substantiallyas shown.

are adapted to register with and engage-studs in each of its sideslenses, of air-induction pipes, the ends of which project beyond the fsides of the lantern-body so as to be disposed at right an-glesto eachother, a pair of the pipes extending near the base of the lantern, apair of pipes, the upper ends of which are positioned centrally withinthe lantern, a conical 2. A signal-lantern for railway use havingsection positioned: within the top of the lantern, a band having aseries of perforations and a revoluble' cap-piece with perforations forthe-purpose set forth.

3. In a signal-lantern for railroad use having a rectangular bodyportion, the lower portion of said lantern having abox or chest withopen ends, of induetion-tubesextending therefrom upwardly, the upperends being bent so as to pass-through thelantern-casing andproject atright angles to each other, of tubes having theirouter ends similarlydisposed the inner ends extending upward toa point near thecenter of thelantern, substantially as set forth.

4. In a signal-lamp the combination of a casing, of a box supported bythe base of the casing and provided with perforated ends I), tubesB",extending upward therefrom and in a direction at right angles with eachother through the sides of the casing substantially as shown.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of twoWitnesses.

THOMAS W. MGNALLY.

Witnesses:

ALFRED L. SELLERS, R. DALE SPARHAWK.

It is hereby certified that Letters Patent No. 594,999, granted December7, 1897, upon the application of Thomas W. McNally, of Bristol,Pennsylvania, for an improve ment in Railroad Signal Lamps and BladeSignals, were erroneously issued to said McNally, and John Woodhouse asassignee of one-sixth of the said invention; whereas said Letters Patentshould have been issued to said MeNally and John Woodhouse and HarryWilcox, said Woodhouse and Wilcox being owners of one-third interest, asshown by the record of assignments in this ofiice; and that the saidLetters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the samemay conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed, countersigned, and sealed this 21st day of December, A. D. 1897.

' WEBSTER DAVIS, Assistant Secretary of the Interior.

[SEAL] Conntersigned A. P. GREELEY,

Acting Commissioner of Patents.

